Barney Kessel - The Contemporary Years: Selected Recordings 1953-57 (2023)

Barney Kessel was a jazz guitarist who is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile guitarists of the post-war era, who had a parallel career as one of the most in-demand session men in Hollywood, appearing on dozens of hit records and movie soundtracks. Emerging on the scene at the start of the 1940s he was greatly influenced by Charlie Christian, and became a fixture on bebop sessions through into the 1950s, working with the likes of Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson and on the Jazz At The Philharmonic shows. This 43-track 2-CD collection comprises selected titles he recorded leading his own bands on albums for the Contemporary label during the middle years of the 1950s. It features tracks culled from his albums “Barney Kesssel”, “Barney Kessel Vol. 2”, “Easy Like”, Barney Kessel Plays Standards”, “To Swing Or Not To Swing”, “Music To Listen To Barney Kessel By” and “Poll Winners”. It includes recordings with Bud Shank, Harry Babasin, Shelly Manne, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Jimmy Rowles, Al Hendrickson, Andre Previn, Buddy Collette, Ray Brown and other noted musicians who were members of his line-ups for these sessions. Ranging across standards and his own compositions, it’s a fascinating and enlightening showcase for a great guitarist best–known for his work with other bands, but is here featured as a leader.